What Are You Grateful for Today?
There are certain situations, stories, experiences that I can't stop thinking about. I keep analyzing them, twisting them around, looking at them (or at least trying to) from different perspectives. I ruminate, I get sad, happy, confused, whatever. Sometimes, those situations and stories are not even mines, per se. But they keep spinning in my mind. You know, like when you hear a song on a radio, and it keeps playing on and on in your head for hours, and you can't stop thinking about it.
Writing is an excellent way to sort your thoughts out. You can lay down your feelings, your worries, and fears. Sure, they don't disappear, but they have less power over you. But to be honest, those thoughts and ideas usually don't feel "enough" for me to write a proper article. It's because by the time I'd turn them into a (hopefully) readable article and publish it, they'd be passé, irrelevant, not relatable anymore, or I'd change my mind 527 times.
So, I came up with the #ONANCISMIND concept. They're short reflections of my worries, thoughts, and opinions. First and foremost, I emphasize it is "just" my opinion, not a general truth, so please keep that in mind if reading this.
As a millennial, I've grown into the world full of excess, commerciality, wealth, and narcissism on the one hand, and to the world of poverty, struggle, and inequality on the other.
Our world is a place of endless possibilities and options. It is a world where you can get your degree online without ever stepping into an actual school. It's a place where your biggest hobbies and passions can turn into a business. It's a world where you can learn anything from sawing a dress, through playing guitar, to building an actual house. It's a place where anyone with an idea and access to the internet can become the next sensation overnight.
And in such a world, where you can do anything and everything, it's easy to get stuck in the "go go go" mindset and want more and more. More money, more clothes, more houses, more holidays, more beauty products, more success, more friends, more time, etc.
As a result of the recent events, I can't help but think about how many things do we (in general) take for granted?
Basic things, like waking up in the morning and heading to work? Going to a store and buying whatever you want, without standing in endless lines, fighting for the items in your basket? Things like going to school, to work, to the gym, to the library? Going to the restaurant and catching up with your friends?
Things like having a place to live, having home. Being healthy and doing whatever you want. Going out for a jog or a walk. Going to the gym. Riding a bike. Or maybe, things like having money, traveling, and making plans. Taking photos of all the exciting places that you visit and the people you meet.
We all have different priorities and goals; therefore, we may take different things for granted. But in reality, all things have only as much of an importance as we assign to them.
One thing that a lot of us take for granted is freedom. Freedom to decide and do what you want to do. Freedom to go wherever you want. Freedom to visit your family. Freedom to make plans. Freedom not to make plans and do things spontaneously.
Now more than ever I think that the following statement is true: You don't know what you had until you lost it. Temporarily or permanently.
This is a great opportunity to recognize and appreciate what you have and what you can. What are you grateful for today? I'm grateful for my life, for my health, for my family, and the freedom.
xo Anci
*I'm not trying to exaggerate nor trivialize the current situation by any means. By this post, I'm only reflecting on my thoughts and emotions. Instant and raw.
